IPPH Ph.D. Program

The Department of Industrial & Physical Pharmacy at Purdue University provides academic and research opportunities for graduate students interested in pharmaceutics as a scientific career.

Pharmaceutics is a discipline that today encompasses the traditional areas of industrial pharmacy, pharmacokinetics/biopharmaceutics, and physical pharmacy. The broad spectrum of research interests in one academic department, combined with research projects that integrate the biological and physical chemical sciences, provides the graduate student with an unparalleled opportunity to work in an outstanding intellectual research environment.

Over the years, students with undergraduate degrees in pharmacy, biochemistry, chemistry, chemical engineering, and the biological sciences have received their PhD degrees from the Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy. The diverse academic and cultural backgrounds of our graduate students create an excellent environment for personal as well as intellectual growth. We invite you to join us in our pursuit of excellence.

The Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy is one of three departments within the College of Pharmacy. There are between 30 and 40 Ph.D. students enrolled in the department. Postdoctoral research associates and visiting scholars further enrich the department’s intellectual atmosphere.

During the first semester on campus, each graduate student selects a major professor from among the graduate faculty of the department. The curriculum of the graduate student is then determined jointly by the student and his or her major professor. Each plan of study is designed to achieve the student's overall educational objective. In addition to departmental courses, each student's plan of study usually includes courses in physical, organic, and analytical chemistry, mathematics, statistics, biochemistry, and chemical engineering.

Students entering our graduate program are expected to have had at least one year of calculus in their undergraduate curriculum and are encouraged to review their mathematical preparation before registration.

Founded in 1874 as a state-supported land grant university, Purdue University is recognized worldwide as a leader in scientific research. It is one of the top universities in the country in the number of PhD degrees awarded in pharmacy, chemistry, engineering, and agriculture.